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Why is it that sometimes the Bible says man can not look at God and live, and other times people see God and do not die?



    
    

Clarify (3) Share Report Asked February 14 2014 Mini Linda Sylvia Supporter

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Image Tim Thornton Supporter Bible student, unprofitable servant
The Biblical reality reflected in this question is best addressed by thinking about it in terms of the Creator creature distinction

Man created in the image (a finite replica) of God is created to receive revelation from God in order to know, love, and worship Him. When man is doing this he is fulfilling the purpose of his existence. God is glorified and man is full of enjoyment. Every good thing man can engage in is calculated by God to fulfill him and display His attributes in order that mans heart might be taken up with wonder love and praise to His God.

While man has an inexhaustible capacity for receiving from God, he will forever be both finite and limited he will be eternally growing in his knowledge and enjoyment of God.

The implication of all of this is that while God in knowable he will forever be incomprehensible to all of His creatures. A finite creature will never have an infinite knowledge that would be a contradiction. It would be a categorical denial of the Creator creature distinction and we are all painfully aware of what happens when a creature attempts that (Gen.3)

One of the glorious things God has revealed about Himself is that He is known comprehensively.
Luke 10:22
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
John 17:3 
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

The Son is both God and the revealer of God.

A place in scripture where the deity of Christ is revealed and that He alone knows (has comprehensive unique knowledge of) the Father is (Jn.1:1-18)

These verses proclaim this glorious truth about God With God, and God revealing God. This God,who is later called the only Son of God, is the only one who has seen God because He actually is God himself he makes Him known to us.

When the Son looks into the Face of the Father He sees Him in all of His infinite, eternal, glory, because He is the only one who can.
When the Father sees this person who who perfectly comprehends Him and beholds Him He sees the perfect representation of Himself.
Hebrews 1:3 
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power........
Col.1:15,19
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation....19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

John 1:18
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

No one has or ever will see God the way that the Son alone sees Him. The question for all of us is, do I know Him as He has made Himself known by His Only Son Jesus Christ?

February 27 2014 6 responses Vote Up Share Report


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